4TH CALL FOR PROPOSALS – INFORMATION NOTE

The 4th Call for Project Proposals of the Interreg IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme “Greece –Albania 2014-2020” was pre-announced on 25/07/2018 and it was launched on 17/10/2018. Applicants were invited to submit their Project Proposals electronically via MIS targeting both Priority Axes of the Programme between 17/10/2018 and 28/02/2019.

In the framework of this Call the total available budget was 9.000.000,00€ (Union Support and National Counterpart). The Call was open to both Priorities Axes, two of the four Thematic Priorities and two of the six related Specific Objectives of the Programme, namely:

Priority Axis 1 Promotion of the environment, sustainable transport and public infrastructure

Specific Objective 2.1 Preserve cultural and natural resources as a prerequisite for tourism development of the cross border area

Three information sessions took place in both countries, in order for the potential beneficiaries to be activated, supported and updated. The dates and venues of the events were announced on the Managing Authority’s website, on the Programme’s website, as well as on the site of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania.

Potential applicants posed their questions in writing to the Managing Authority/Joint Secretariat. A total of 28 questions were answered and these answers were published on the Programme’s website. Additionally, a partner search facility was operating in the Programme’s website. Potential beneficiaries could submit their project ideas in order to find potential partners or contact the beneficiaries responsible for project ideas already published, in order to participate in their project.

A total of fifty two (52) project proposals were submitted under both priority axes and two specific objectives. Specific objective 2.1 (Preserve cultural and natural resources as a prerequisite for tourism development of the cross border area) attracted the greatest interest, under which forty-three (43) project proposals were submitted. Nine (9) project proposals under Specific Objective 1.3 (Increase energy efficiency and the use of RES) were also submitted.

The number of participations of potential beneficiaries from both countries was one hundred and eighty two (182). As far as Lead Beneficiaries are concerned, 41 were Greek and 11 were Albanian.

The submitted budget per specific objective amounts to

239.659,25€ under S.O. 1.3

377.104,43€ under S.O. 2.1

It is reminded that the Interreg IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme “Greece –Albania 2014-2020” budget allocated for the period 2014-2020 is 54.076.734,00€. This amount consists of 45.965.222,00€ EU contribution and 8.111.512,00€ national contributions. The national counterpart rate for both Greece and Albania is 15%. For the 4th Call for project proposals, for the project beneficiaries from Albania, the 15% of the national counterpart will be covered by the beneficiaries own contribution.